The historic British footwear brand Russell and Bromley has undergone a major restructuring after entering administration. The company, which was established in 1880, completed a £2.5m pre-pack administration deal in January 2026. Retail giant Next stepped in to acquire the company’s brand name and all intellectual property rights. This crucial acquisition was made to preserve the legacy of the premium footwear brand for years to come but huge amounts of its stores have now closed.
Next’s acquisition was highly selective in terms of maintaining the company’s physical retail presence. The deal only included three high-profile store locations: Chelsea, Mayfair, and the Bluewater shopping centre. A total of 33 shops and nine retail concessions were not part of the deal. Consequently, these locations across the country have since been forced to close their doors permanently. The final Russell & Bromley closure took place on April 23, following the firm’s announcement of the first 10 closures on April 21.
The final Russell and Bromley branch that was not included in the sale ceased trading in late April 2026, with the closure taking place on April 23, marking the end of the chain’s presence in many high street locations.
This significant restructuring has led to considerable job losses among the company’s staff members, with approximately 320 employees impacted.
Administrators from Interpath are currently managing the situation and assisting affected personnel.
Their immediate focus is on overseeing the wind-down of the remaining business and helping staff with redundancy claims, reports LiverpoolEcho.
Company chief executive, Andrew Bromley, confirmed the sale was deemed the best route to secure the brand’s continuity.
Next has expressed its intention to offer the necessary operational stability and expertise to support the brand’s next chapter.
In its administration FAQs, it added: “NEXT acquired the brand name, domain names, and intellectual property of Russell & Bromley. NEXT also acquired 3 stores: Mayfair (London) 395/397 Oxford Street; Chelsea (London) 64/66 King’s Road London; and Bluewater, Kent. All other stores are under the control of the Administrators.”
“While the previous operator has ceased trading, the Russell & Bromley brand will be operated by NEXT in the near future. In the interim, former Russell & Bromley customers are welcome to shop with NEXT.”
Customers who bought something from Russel and Bromley before the administration will need to contact administrators if an item is faulty.
It adds: “If your item was purchased before the appointment of the Administrators on 21st January 2026 and is due a refund because it is faulty, please contact the Administrators via customer.experience@russellandbromley.co.uk.”
